Monk proving to be another electrifying force for WCU

Photos by Tom Kelly IV ¬ WCU's Brandon Monk (28) runs a kickoff back for a touchdown, the first play after CAL's Desimon Green (7) ran back a kickoff return for a stadium record setting 100 yards, during the California University of Pennsylvania (CAL) at West Chester University (WCU) football game in West Goshen, Saturday October 5, 2013.

WEST GOSHEN – Brandon Monk has to be one of the most dangerous, most feared offensive weapons in all of college football if you take into consideration his production per touch. He is averaging 12.3 yards every time he touches the football.

The former Avon Grove High School star is making his mark at West Chester even though he is the backup to superstar Rondell ‘Delly’ White, who led the nation in all-purpose yards last season and is currently third nationally. A sophomore, Monk is being groomed to take over for White, who is a senior, and is showing the kind of big play ability he exhibited while leading the Red Devils to the 2010 Ches-Mont National title.

“I was always a big-play guy through little league and into high school,” Monk said. “Every time I get the ball, I try to score. That’s my goal.”

He’s done it twice so far this season – which is noteworthy for a guy who’s handled the football a total of 45 times -- and both came on spectacular, record-setting plays. His electrifying 97-yard kickoff return during Saturday’s critical 38-31 victory over California (Pa.) was the play of the season, according to WCU head coach Bill Zwaan. It also set a record for the longest kick return in program history.

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“Brandon can go to the house,” Zwaan said. “That shows his speed in the open field. He is quick through a crease, but once he gets through, he has the speed to score.”

In many ways, White and Monk are a mirror-image of the other. Both were huge local recruits for West Chester – the most explosive runners to come out of the Ches-Mont League in 2009 and 2011, respectively. In addition, they are of a similar build and possess many of the same natural abilities.

“When we watched Brandon on film as a junior, he reminded us of ‘Delly.’ He is not quite as big but they are similar in that they can do everything,” Zwaan pointed out.

“(Monk) is an excellent running back and his future is very bright here,” White added. “Once I depart, he is next in line and he will continue to do all of the things that I’ve done.”

As a freshman, Monk was second behind White with 235 yards on the ground that included a healthy 6.4 yards per carry average and a touchdown. This year for the unbeaten 17th ranked Rams, Monk is currently No. 2 in kickoff returns in the 16-team PSAC, averaging 36.3 per return. And as a runner, he averages 8.3 yards per attempt.

“If I wasn’t here, he’d be starting and he would be the man on just about any other team in this conference,” White predicted.

“He would definitely be playing for a lot of the team’s we’ve played,” Zwaan agreed. “We keep looking for ways to get him on the field but it’s been hard because Rondell hardly ever gets tired and he can really do everything.

“The things that Monk good at – like catching the ball out of the backfield and being quick through the hole – is what ‘Delly’ is good at. So we have the guy in place to take over when ‘Delly’ leaves.”

A native of West Grove, Monk surprised some when he chose WCU a couple years after White made a similar move because it was already clear that he would likely have to serve an apprenticeship as White’s backup. But Monk has no regrets.

“Some of the other places I was looking at just aren’t as big of a program as I was looking for,” Monk said. “West Chester has more of an established history and I enjoyed my visit. I felt like a brother, a part of the family, before I even got here.”

Almost immediately, the 5-foot-9, 180-pound White took Monk (5-8, 155) under his wing.

“We’ve become real close and we push each other to get better every day,” White said.

“I’ve taken a lot from him,” Monk acknowledged. “He is a tough kid and he does a lot of things well that I don’t particularly do well. I’ve started to pick up things, like lowering my shoulders and my head, just fighting or extra yards – things like that that I have learned from him.”

The only thing they argue about is some good-natured ribbing back and forth about high school supremacy: Avon Grove versus West Chester Rustin, White’s alma mater.

“Brandon is always saying that his side (the National Division) was much harder,” White explained. “We go back and forth all the time. When he says (the American Division) was weak, I just tell him that I played whoever was in front of me and we won the majority of the time.”

For the record, White led the Golden Knights to two division titles as well as a district crown in 2009. But Rustin with White and Avon Grove with Monk never played each other, so we will never know definitively.

But you would be hard pressed to find a bigger White fan than Monk, and vice versa. When Monk began to get the majority of the carries at Millersville last month after WCU had built a big second-half lead, he ripped off a 93-yard scoring dash that was the third longest in West Chester history. White cheered wildly.

White finished with 227 rushing yards in the game and Monk chipped in a career-high 175. And together the duo helped establish the school’s single game record with 456 yards on the ground.

And it was more of the same last weekend when White ran for 145 and two touchdowns, and Monk notched the first kickoff return for a TD in 157 West Chester games dating back to 1999. It came just seconds after Cal has pulled to within seven points on a kickoff return of its own in the third quarter.

“After (Cal) returned it, I was thinking, ‘now we have to shine,’” Monk said. “As soon as it got into my hands I was trying to return it to the house. I went up the middle, cut to the outside, and when it was just me and the kicker, I knew he couldn’t catch me so I just put on the burners.

“Anyway I can make an impact on this team, I want to do it. It was real fun, just burning down the field and seeing everyone in the stands screaming and jumping around.”